Virginia Tech Adds Verbal from VHSL 4A State Champ Caroline Bentz for 2019

Caroline Bentz, a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American from Dahlgren, Virginia, has elected to remain in-state and swim for the Virginia Tech H2Okies for her collegiate career. Bentz is a senior at King George High School. She won the 100 back (54.61) and placed 3rd in the 100 free (51.53) as a junior at the 2018 VHSL Class 4 Swimming & Diving Championship. She also led off the winning 200 free relay (23.73) as well as the runner-up 200 medley relay (26.15), contributing to King George’s second-place team finish.

Bentz swims year-round with NCAP West. She competed in the 100/200 backstroke events at 2018 Winter National Championships, placing 4th in the 100m back with a PB of 1:02.07, a 2020 Olympic Trials cut. The next weekend she competed at the 2018 NCAP Invite and notched PBs in the SCY 50/200 free, 100/200 back, 100 breast, and 200 IM.

Bentz will join the Virginia Tech class of 2023 with Ashley Worden, Brooke Travis, Erin Quinn, Grace Cutrell, Hannah Jirsa, Hannah Virgin, Jenna Thompson, Julia Smith, Morgan Miller, Rose Pouch, Sarah Shackelford, Shelby Raber, and Sophia Ryan. The H2Okies lost a slew of backstrokers to graduation after last season. Current sophomore Emily Meilus and junior Reka Gyorgy are the highest-scoring returners. Bentz would have scored in the C final of the 200 back but it took 53.77 to get a second swim in the 100 back at the 2018 ACC Women’s Championships.

Top SCY times:

  • 50 back – 26.11
  • 100 back – 53.98
  • 200 back – 1:56.63
  • 50 free – 23.34
  • 100 free – 51.53
  • 200 free – 1:49.76
  • 200 IM – 2:05.36

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Christiana Bentz
5 years ago

Congratulations, Caroline! This is so exciting!

UCSwim
5 years ago

Seems like a large freshman class. No?

IKnowHer
Reply to  UCSwim
5 years ago

I believe she is actually in the class of 2020

Admin
Reply to  IKnowHer
5 years ago

She was listed as a junior at last year’s VHSL Class 4 Championship meet. While these class listings are probably not foolproof, that indicates that she is currently a high school senior in the class of 2019: https://cdn.swimswam.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-Class-4-Results.pdf

But, her Instagram profile says VT ’24. So, we’ll get with her and see what the deal is. It’s possible she’s taking a gap year, or it’s possible that she’s mislisted in results.

Barney Rubble
Reply to  Braden Keith
5 years ago

Gap year

Fly girl
Reply to  Braden Keith
5 years ago

She is taking a gap year

Admin
Reply to  Fly girl
5 years ago

Correct, she confirmed this to us earlier today.

Swimmomtoo
Reply to  Braden Keith
5 years ago

Great swimmer and so tall! She is very young for class of 2019, so GAP year makes sense.

Fly girl
Reply to  IKnowHer
5 years ago

She is taking a gap year

Fly girl
Reply to  UCSwim
5 years ago

Yes

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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